An inside look at the CAD, CAM and CAE industry - by Roopinder Tara

November 26, 2012

Hurricane Monica Sweeping Through Dassault

Dassault's 3DEXPERIENCE, recently concluded in Orlando, found itself
sandwiched between Super Storm Sandy and a winter storm that followed
quickly on its heels. But it is an internal storm -- one that CEO Bernard Charles has unleashed -- that is affecting the giant
CAD company the most. It is in the form of Monica Menghini. Hurricane Monica may do more to change
the landscape of CAD -- or at least that of Dassault -- than any force of
nature.

Monica Menghini, EVP of marcom at Dassault, aims to change the way the world sees Dassault Systemes

Bernard introduces her onstage at the user conference -- and gets out of the
way, but not before he warns us to “be careful.” She is a force to
be reckoned with. Even the Mafia has no chance. Monica has prosecuted organized
crime figures in her native Italy. She was also a professional volleyball player.

We are captivated. It's too much for CAD insiders. We are not
used to women. Not thin, good looking women in black dresses and heels. With accents. Not
at our user meetings. We stare slack jawed. Geeky brain desperately shifting gears, trying to adjust. It takes a while before we can
make out what she is saying. But a force majeure doesn't wait for men.

Monika comes to us from Saatchi and Saatchi, the British ad agency. More
recently, she was “brand equity builder” at Procter & Gamble

We are treated to advertising campaigns, glossy, even sexy. Luscious lips
about to swallow a capsule filled with little balls and something about
“swallowing robots." Then there are the icebergs being towed across the ocean.

“That ad was achieved a 27% retention score,” says Monica proudly of the lips
ad at the press luncheon. “People identified the message with Dassault.”

It is apparent that Bernard has given Monica free reign. He is depending on
her to make an Dassault a company of international and very public renown.

Dassault is not alone in trying to increase its perception and association to
more than just CAD. Several have tried branding themselves as PLM
companies -- with mixed success. But none have sought to throw their name so far
and wide. This was not a job Bernard could give to someone on the inside. He had
to find someone outside, someone unencumbered with CAD and the inherent
pragmatism of its practitioners. This job had to go to someone not afraid to
strike out, be different, able to run over obstacles. Someone who can stare down a a barrel.

Smaller minds in the room are left wondering what Monica's messages have to so with them and their little corners of the world, with CATIA,
ENOVIA, SolidWorks, or other current Dassault products. But they miss the point. It
is not what Dassault offers now, but what Dassault will offer in the future. If
recent history serves and as indication, there will be a wealth of offerings
that will vary greatly in their breadth and application. Their connection to the whole may be hard to grasp, but in some time theere will be a
smiling, friendly French man who will be happy to explain it all to us.

Comments

Very bold move(s)by DS. The directions DS are taking involve more artistic flair, something a French-based company can attempt, but a German industrial giant like Siemens (via Siemens PLM) would find hard to do. It remains to be seen whether DS's growth into "non-engineering/PLM" visualization areas can happen fast enough to compensate for the loss of their traditional engineering-minded nuts-and-bolts customers who don't get "flair". Nevertheless, they are to be applauded for trying to be bold.

I keep on thinking that the strategy of working the Marketing Engine is the key to enormous success, and DS proves that point. From a product quality standpoint, they're inferior to their competitors, but captivating minds with good messaging seems to overcome that setback. As a long term strategy, I do believe that better solutions will overcome, only if they can step out of the big Brand Shadow that DS successfully casts over them...

In that Dassault is currently the largest CAD vendor in the world (as measured by annual revenues), it would be hard to see how it cannot survive. Big business thinks differently about CAD systems than do small shops, and Dassault caters to big business.